we talk about the potential for wireless networking, forgetting that the road has been paved with false hopes for a truly wireless world. i see no evidence that we are getting anywhere. just look around.

what good is a lone wireless subsystem when the modern computer is otherwise wrapped in a tangled mess? take my system (please!) the number of wires is ridiculous. first there is the pc's power cord (1) which hooks to the ups that has its own power line (2). then there are the cables for monitor video and power (3 and 4). a little olympus photo printer requires a data line (5) of course and a cord (6) that plugs into the wall. and my epson 1280 printer needs its communication and electrical conduits (7 and 8). a computer cam and sandisk compactflash reader link to the pc via usb tethers (9 and 10). the sound system needs a connection to the sound card (11), two to the speakers (12 and 13), and one to the power strip (14), which is separate from the ups and requires its own connection (15) to a wall outlet. a microphone line (16) plugs into the sound card. there is also a nearby two-line phone with two wires from the phone jacks (17 and 18), one wire to the power-supply brick (19), and one from the brick to the ac wall plug (20). the handset is wireless (hooray).

so i'm up to a nice set of 20 wiresa rat's nestwithout even beginning to talk about networking. for that, there is the initial rj-45 to the computer from the switch (21), wires from the dsl outlet to the dsl modem and from the modem to the gateway router (22 and 23), and power cables for the modem and router (24 and 25). then, from the gateway router to the main hub/switch there's a wire (26), from the hub/switch to a tektronix 860 printer there's another (27), and the printer has its wall plug (28). there is also a wire from the hub to a laptop (29), from the laptop to the power-supply brick (30), and from there to the wall socket (31). oops, i forget the wire from the hub/switch to the ups (32). and, of course, there is a wire from the hub/switch (33) to another hub elsewhere in the house.

finally let's not forget the keyboard wires (34) and the mouse wire (35). there is also a desk lamp (36). oh, we can't leave out the snap server and its hub and ups hookups (37 and 38). on top of all this are the various wires that have somehow entwined themselves amongst the others. add a scanner and some other gear and you have a minimum of 41 entangled wires. this is absurd. so what has wireless done for me or anyone else for that matter? bluetooth should eliminate the printer wires but not much more. of course nobody has a bluetooth computer and nobody buys bluetooth printers. 802.11 a/b/g is cool and could eliminate the hub/switch and a few of the networking wires, but not much more. we're doomed.

i used to say that if you had invested in the paper industry when the term "paperless office" was coined, you would have become rich. i now say that with the wireless revolution upon us, this is the time to invest in a wire and cable company. i see no revolution.

as much as i hate to admit it, what would solve the problem is powerline networking with the power cable actually serving as both a power and a networking cable, rather than the current approach, which separates the two. this would, of course, require a redesign of the power supply to incorporate the network interface. while this would not eliminate cables, it would reduce their numbers substantially. if usb were then turned into bluetooth and all the usb devices were bluetooth, this would remove another group of wires. this way, the only need for 802.11 devices would be with battery-powered portable computing when there's no power socket and no other network access.

but today's preoccupation with ultra-cheap computing precludes any such advancement, since it would add a few dollars to the price of a basic unit. people are more likely to spend $20 for a printer cable than pay $20 extra for a bluetooth printer. with this attitude, progress is impossible.

so the most successful among us will be those who know how to properly use wiring harnesses and devices that keep the wires from tangling. the majority of folks will have rats' nests of wires everywhere. then again, this might only be me! somehow i doubt it, though.

About the Author

John C. Dvorak is a columnist for PCMag.com and the co-host of the twice weekly podcast, the No Agenda Show. His work is licensed around the world. Previously a columnist for Forbes, PC/Computing, Computer Shopper, MacUser, Barrons, the DEC Professional as well as other newspapers and magazines. Former editor and consulting editor for InfoWorld, he... See Full Bio

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